Amsterdam!

As of Saturday evening, I have officially been back from Amsterdam. I went with my mom, and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Luckily I wasn't very jet lagged. Although the flight from Chicago to Amsterdam was long, I wasn't too bored, thanks to in-seat personal TV's with at least 20 movies, music, games and TV programs made 8 hours go by quickly! Despite getting sick from something I ate on the way to Amsterdam, the food on the way to Chicago was surprisingly good for airline food.

We stayed at the Grand Armath, a nice hotel right on the canal and close to major attractions. Oh yeah, I shouldn't forget to mention the incredibly good-looking guys at the front desk. :D We arrived Friday morning (7/24) and walked around. Later that afternoon, my friend Megan came and spent the entire weekend with us. It was so nice spending time with her, even if I had a mild stomach bug the first two days (most likely from the awful vegetarian meal I had on the plane--it was so bad that we canceled them for our return flight). Besides having Megan stay at the hotel with us, I took the train to Utrecht to see her and her sister. The three of us got coffee and walked around a pretty park.

I visited 5 museums during the week I was there. Megan and I went to FOAM and the Hermitage together. FOAM is the photography museum and they had exhibits on black and white photos, various African countries, a fashion slide show, and a photographer who took multiple photos of a tree but focused on different angles/space. The Hermitage was my favorite museum as they had a fabulous collection of clothes, artifacts, and paintings from the Russian Czarist era. Not only was it awesome to see the pretty dresses and cool artifacts, but this exhibit instantly brought me back to AP lit, where I read Tolstoy's Anna Karenina. Megan and I also met up with my mom at the Rikjsmuseum (Royal Museum), where they had a collection of Vermeer and Rembrandt paintings, as well as various Asian artifacts and dollhouses dating back to the 1600's. My mom and I went to Anne Frank's house and the Van Gogh Museum. Anne Frank's house was just what I expected, very moving and intense. The Van Gogh Museum was awesome as well, having seen many pictures of his paintings, and finally being able to see them up close in person. My favorites are the sunflowers, almond blossoms, and his Japanese paintings (I love Asian art).

On a hot day, my mom and I decided to take a canal tour. As we were tired of walking around museums and town, we thought that the tour would be a nice change of pace. The canal was very cool. We had a nice view of various landmarks and old buildings from the boat, not to mention the cute (but gay) couple from Belgium.

Besides the canal tour and museums, we also went shopping and took a day trip to Haarlem. We went to the clothing flea market in Haarlem, which was disappointing, as most of the stuff was pretty touristy. Also, many of the major attractions were closed on Monday, but we did go to the church, which has the world's largest pipe organ and dead people under the floor.

We did a lot of shopping, and I bought some postcards for my collection from the FOAM and Van Gogh museums, a shirt from the flea market in Haarlem, and 2 pairs of shoes (plaid Mary Janes and rainboots with lips).

Unlike France, Amsterdam is not well-known for its food. That said, some meals were a lot better than others. We didn't pick the greatest restaurants at first, but then the meals got better. My favorite meals were those at Thai, Portugese, and Indonesian restaurants. We also stopped at a patissere for coffeees and shared a delicious lemon tart and chocolate mousse.

Well, this is the answer to "how was your trip to Amsterdam?" As you can expect, I took many pictures. That said, I can't fit them all here so I'm going to do several blogs with pictures from my trip to give you a closer look at Amsterdam. I hope you enjoyed reading about my trip (:

Hello in Mid-Summer!

Yesterday I have made a countdown calendar, and I have one month and 15 days until I go back to Portland. Because most of my friends from home are not currently in the Piedmont/Oakland/Berkeley area, I do not have a lot of people to hang out with, which makes me miss my college friends terribly. On the plus side, Amy gets back from NY today, so I'm going to call her this week and try to make a plan to have her stay with me for a few days in August. I'm really sad that she's not coming back to UP, so I really want to see her before I leave for school. Speaking of friends coming and leaving, I learned last week that my wonderful friend MacKenzie got her loan approved, which means she will be able to go back to Portland at least for next year. She's hoping to get a Providence scholarship that pays for her last two years at UP if she works at Providence Hospital (MacK's a nursing major) 3 years after graduation.

As far as travel goes, I have been busy packing and am very excited about my trip to Amsterdam. My mom and I have both never been and I'm particularly psyched to see Megan. She has been there for six months so far and I haven't seen her since January. Although I mentioned going to CT in my last blog, this is unfortunately not happening. I really want to see Cara and Caroline in one trip, and their busy schedules did not allow me to do so. Hopefully, I'll be able to see them next summer, or possibly winter or spring break. My bro and I are both off from work for a week in mid-August so my family might go somewhere.

I'm still enjoying my work at the camp, although it can be tiring (especially being outside in this hot weather!). Next Monday I start my home tutoring with Althea (she's also one of my campers). I will be working with her three days a week for a month for three hours in the morning. I'm so happy I'm doing something that will not only be fun, but also rewarding and an excellent experience for a psych major.

Next time you'll probably be hearing about my trip and seeing pictures of Amsterdam!

Believe it or not, I got a job!!!

After six long weeks of job hunting, I finally got a job. Most of you know I'm working at a camp for autistic kids every Tuesday for eight weeks. Yesterday, I just got a job through BIA (same agency as the camp) as a home tutor. Every client has an indvidualized plan with various academic and social goals, and a tutor goes to the client's home and implements it. With my client, I'll be facilitating playdates and helping her with math reading, and other self-help skills (ex: setting the table). I'll be staring the program mid-July and ending mid-August. I'll be working 3 mornings a week.

A few weekends ago, I went to visit friends in Oregon. I spent a few days with MacKenzie (who lives in Gresham) and Traci (who lives in Forest Grove). MacKenzie works at Red Robin, so we spent a lot of time in the mall where she works. Traci and I went to some graduation parties. Dana came to visit MacKenzie and I Sunday night, and we talked about boys, went on Facebook, and went to Red Robin. Mostly, I enjoyed spending time with my much missed girls.

Today I booked my flight to CT to see my wonderful girl Cara for a few days. My mom and I might go to Amsterdam at the end of July to see Megan. I've been doing a lot of babysitting, and its nice to have some extra $$. I'm saving up to study abroad in London next summer. Not to mention hanging out with friends...

Hope you're having an excellent summer wherever you are!

Summer Update 2

After about a month of job and volunteer hunting, I'm starting to feel more optimistic. For starters, I will be working as a student instructor at a camp for autistic kids for eight weeks. The problem is that it's only once a week for an hour and a half in the afternoon, so I'm still figuring out what to do the other days. I got my employee handbook with TONS of forms to sign--kind of overwhelming! I also picked up the results for my TB test (indicating that it was negative) and have a LiveScan appt next week. I expect this job to be a lot of fun and very rewarding, not to mention an excellent experience for a psych major.

Although it hasn't been easy, I'm starting to get over the loss of the nanny job in NJ. The more I think about it, the more I realize that the family would have been difficult to work for. When I was there, the mom was only home for 2 of the 24 hours I was there (she took me to her friends house instead of showing me around her own house!). She said she didn't hire me because she was upset that I didn't do the dishes (I don't remember he asking me to do them). I told the mom from the start that I would do any housekeeping neccesary IF she'd train me. Even though she said she would train me, she later said she was stressed about moving and didn't have time. I believe that employers are 100 percent entitled to make decisions on who to hire and the criteria they look for in potential employees. In this case, the mom lead me to believe I had the job and took it away from me at the last minute, so I don't think she handled the situation appropriately. Besides mine and the mom's personalities/needs, I also think the situation played a significant role. I think it would have been a different story if the family wasn't moving and wanted me to stay the whole summer because they were having problems with their nanny (which actually was the case). Seems like it was not meant to be...

Luckily, I have a job lead for a family who wants someone to drive their three boys (3.5, 7, and 8) to/from camp. Although nothing is set in stone, I've been emailing with the mom and she seems interested. She wants to call me today, so I should have a better idea as to whether or not this job will work out. If I get the job, I would work for 4 hours in the mornings, Monday-Friday. This means I will have time in the afternoon to see friends or work out. Plus, I have several families who plan on calling me for occasional babysitting. This past week and a half, I have babysat for a very sweet 8 year old girl who has a friendly golden retriever and an adorable kitten who is A LOT friendlier than my cat.

If I don't get the nanny job, I'm considering volunteering at the library or working at a day care. Honestly, I prefer working with older kids (5+), but I will work with younger kids if nothing else works out. Not only does the current state of our economy make job hunting difficult, but job hunting is especially difficult for college students who are only home for three months over the summer. Even finding volunteer work is hard, as many agencies require at least a six-month commitment because of the time it takes to train volunteers.

On Thursday, I am going to Portland where I will stay with friends for a few days. I will stay with MacKenzie Thursday and Sunday nights, and spend the weekend in Forest Grove with Traci. MacKenzie isn't sure if she has to work that weekend, but is going to try to switch her shift if she does have to work. I'm really excited because I haven't seen any of my college friends for six weeks (since school let out), and as much as I love my family, I really need a break from them. I also would like to go to the East Coast to see Cara and Caroline, but I haven't heard anything from them yet.

Other than the famous job hunt, I have been hanging out with friends. I went to the Holy Names and St. Mary's graduations last week, and it was awesome seeing my friends graduate. Last night I went to Antonia's grad party where I enjoyed meeting and talking to her friends. She's leaving for Nicaragua on Wendsday for two months, so it was really nice to be able to see her before she left. Arielle had jaw surgery on Friday, so I brought her a smoothie and hung out with her yesterday.

Hope you're enjoying your summer wherever you are!

Summer Update 1

Hello All!

Sorry I haven't written here in a while. I've been done with school for a little over two weeks now, and it is nice not having to worry about homework, papers, or grades for three and a half months. I am pleased to say that I got a C and passed stats--a major accomplishment!! Basically, I'm done with math FOREVER!!! I got B minuses in theology and human bio (my grade went up by two letter grades since the beginning of the semester). I got B's in English and psych, and an A in choir. My overall GPA for both semesters is 2.9, which is a B minus. A nice way to end the year :D

At this point, my summer plans are currently in the making. Most of you know now that I was offered an amazing opportunity to be a nanny for a month and a half in New Jersey that was taken away from me two days after I came back to CA after meeting the family. To make a long story short, the mom changed her mind at the last minute from needing childcare to household help. This was very disappointing, as I was excited about the job. If you don't already know the details, I'd be happy to fill you in.

On the plus side, I have been meeting with families who might need occasional babysitting. I'm also pursuing a job as a summer live-in nanny. I'm looking into doing some volunteer work with children. I have been offered a position as a volunteer instructor at a camp for kids with autism. However, that camp is one day a week for 8 weeks, so I'm finding out what else I can do the other four days during the week.

As far as travel goes, I don't have any definite plans. I'm hoping to make trips to see my friends in Portland and the East Coast (I have friends in South Windsor, CT and Longmeadow, MA). Besides these trips, I'm thinking about going to Netherlands to see my friend Megan who is an au pair there. Her sister is going to visit her for two weeks in July, and they want to do some traveling, so I'm hoping to join them.

Now you know what's going on in my world since I've finished school. I'll write more as I know my plans (:

Dead Week

This past week has been what UP students call "Dead Week." Don't worry, I will assure you no one died. It's simply the week before finals where we study our butts off and devote time to projects and papers. Quiet hours in the dorms are extended, so people can study and sleep.

Although I am taking five classes, I only have three tests to study for. For those of you who are not yet in college, you might be wondering, "how come you're taking five classes, but only have three tests?" Unlike high school where teachers are required to give written finals, professors are can decide as to whether or not they want to give finals. This semester I have tests in stats, theology, and English. I have a paper for my human bio class, and my psych final is optional. I'm not taking my psych final because I'm happy with my grade (B) and wanted to focus on my other classes in which I have tests (especially Stats). Though my bio professor is giving a test for the final, he is letting me write a paper because I've struggled on his tests and it is his way of recognizing my effort (I think I mentioned that I regularly visited him in office hours).

I'm not too worried about my theo and English finals, but I'm concerned about Stats. As most of you know, I hate math and it does not come easily to me. Unfortunately, UP's core requirements require math. I have a borderline grade that I'm desperately trying to pull up: I have a C minus, but need a C to pass. I'm two points away from being able to pass, so I've been studying my butt off this week. On the plus side, Stats is my first final (Tues afternoon), so I'll feel good about getting it out of the way. :D

On a nonacademic note, I am currently applying for an on-campus job and leadership position. The first postion (volunteer) that I applied for is an Orientation Assistant. (OA) The OA's are help with activities during Orientation weekend. I love showing people how fabulous UP is, so I want to help incoming freshman transition smoothly. Another plus is that I'll get to move in early since I'll have to attend a three day training. Although the original deadline for leadership positions was in March, there were posters around campus advertising for the position. Since I did not get chosen to be a Freshman workshop leader (see previous entries), I was able to apply. I should know next week as to whether or not I'll get the position.

The job that I'm hoping to get next year is student blogger. I would write a weekly blog for the Admissions office about my awesome life here at UP. All I would have to do is write one blog and have them ready by Monday morning. Luckily, I found out that not a lot of people have asked to write the blog and I'm the only psych major. This would work in my favor, as the admissions counselor I met with told me that he likes balance out the writers by class year, gender, and major. I also found out that I would get paid $8/week, totalling $25/month. It's not a lot, but I always appreciate the extra dough, which will go to my Salzburg fund (my friend Amy will be studying abroad next year, and I want to visit her over Christmas). Again, I should know by the end of next week.

Wish me luck on finals! (especially Stats) I will continue the blog over the summer, just not every week. If I do end up writing the blog for Admissions, I will not write on blogger but instead, give you the links to the UP blog. Until next week (:

Relay for Life and Antonia's visit

Today and yesterday I have been busy! Last night I participated in Relay for Life, a walk that raises cancer awareness. I have been interested in cancer awareness since my aunt was diagnosed with colon cancer three years ago. Last fall (Sept 2008), my mom lost one of her best friends from high school to breast cancer. In January, I emailed my friends and family asking them for donations. Some of my friends and I were on a team together, and had a goal of raising $1000. Although we did not raise this exact amount, we reached about 75% of our goal. I raised a total of $645, thanks to generous donations of family members and friends. I was especially touched on Friday that my favorite English professor made a donation to the cause.

The event itself lasted from 6PM yesterday to noon today. The ceremonies included prayers, introductions and guest speakers (a professor who is a cancer survivor and a parent of a UP alum who lost her youngest daughter to leukima) We also walked around the track, and teams had different booths with food and goodies to help raise money. Since my friend Antonia is going to Univeristy of Oregon (in Eugene), she and her mom drove there from Berkeley to attend a prospective student day. I invited her to spend the night with me, and we had a fabulous time together. We walked 11 laps, met my friends, ate a pint of Haagen-Daaz chocolate peanut butter ice cream, wrote a letter to our friend Megan (who is an au pair in the Netherlands), and explored campus. As luck would have it, we were walking from my dorm to the Cove (cafe in the student center), when we saw my English professor driving in his convertible. I introduced Antonia to him, and she was excited to finally meet him. I've told her so much about him, the first thing she said was "I've heard a lot about you."

My aunt Wendy (dad's sis) was diagnosed with colon cancer (fall 2005), so I took the picture on the right for her


Darling Daisies plus Antonia (L-R): Antonia,
Me, Dana (team captian), Traci, Kaelyn,
MacKenzie, and Ruth (team captian)


Antonia and I relaxing


We shared a pint of Haagen-Daaz chocolate
peanut butter ice cream. Delicious!


Roomies for life!

On an academic note, I'm getting to the home strech. Tomorrow night officially begins Dead Week, which means longer quiet hours in the dorms and intense studying. I have four more days left of classes. Since my psych prof is going to a conference Thursday, we don't have class. I'm ditching bio that day because we'll be reviewing for the test and I'm writing a paper instead. Plus it would be pointless for me to get up early when I don't have to go to class the next day. I'm coming home May 1st, so I will be in Portland for 12 more days. I'm really sad to leave my friends, but will be happy to have a break from school for four months.